--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I forget who said it, but there's that…" description: "\"I forget who said it, but there's that saying: 'Films are never finished, they're abandoned.' There's always something you think you can improve on, bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mike-flanagan-10114_better_i-forget-who-said-it-but-there-s-that-sa_2365687.jpg" --- # I forget who said it, but there's that saying: 'Films are… ![“I forget who said it, but there's that saying: 'Films are never finished, they're abandoned.' There's always something you think you can improve on, but I don't think you should try. George Lucas started doing it, and didn't stop. You can tinker indefinitely, and it doesn't necessarily make it…” quote by Mike Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mike-flanagan-10114_better_i-forget-who-said-it-but-there-s-that-sa_2365687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mike-flanagan-10114_better_i-forget-who-said-it-but-there-s-that-sa_2365687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mike-flanagan-10114_better_i-forget-who-said-it-but-there-s-that-sa_2365687.jpg) > “I forget who said it, but there's that saying: 'Films are never finished, they're abandoned.' There's always something you think you can improve on, but I don't think you should try. George Lucas started doing it, and didn't stop. You can tinker indefinitely, and it doesn't necessarily make it better.” [Mike Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-flanagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work often stalls when endless tweaking replaces completion; finishing requires letting go of perfectionism. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism can prevent finishing a project. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection and set a deadline. Themes creativity completion perfectionism Mood frustrated determined Type advice reflective When to use this quote - film editing - software development - writing - design projects Key Concepts artistic process decision fatigue Questions to Reflect On - When does polishing become harmful? - How can you know when a work is “good enough”? A Different Perspective Over‑refining may degrade the original vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ## Related quotes > [I like to say that films are never finished, they're only abandoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/i-like-to-say-that-films-are-never-finished-they-re-only-abandoned/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [I can't remember who said, 'No film is completed, just abandoned,' but I think most filmmakers will tell you that they could endlessly fiddle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-w-s-anderson/i-can-t-remember-who-said-no-film-is-completed-just-abandoned-but-i/) [Paul W. S. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-w-s-anderson/) > [My audience loves seeing me pump large amounts of money into action and sets. And it works. 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